Judge Rules Against Grandma Florist For Refusing To Service Gay Wedding

A Washington grandmother and florist of 40 years who refused to service gay weddings because of her faith will now be forced to arrange flowers for gay ceremonies, a judge ruled Wednesday. On top of that, the woman, Barronelle Stutzman, will have to pay the legal penalties imposed by the judge as well as attorney’s fees.

Ekstrom ruled that the gay couple could collect penalties not just from her business, but also from her personally, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal group that represented Stutzman. That means she could lose her personal possessions and savings.

Stutzman refused to serve a gay couple in 2013 when they asked her to arrange flowers for their wedding ceremony. The ACLU represented the couple and took her to court.